Controversial novel by Liam Payne's ex ignites fan outrage
Liam Payne's former partner has written a book that describes a young singer's suicide attempt. The title received negative feedback from fans of the tragically deceased One Direction member, demanding that the book be removed from store shelves.
Maya Henry is a model and influencer from Texas with over 700,000 Instagram followers. She dated Liam Payne from 2018 to 2022. The couple was even engaged, but their relationship didn't endure, leading to their eventual breakup. In May 2024, she published a novel titled "Looking Forward," which is said to be inspired by real events.
The book is stirring strong emotions among Liam Payne's fans. In one scene, the boyfriend of the main character threatens to commit suicide by jumping off a balcony during a drug-induced nervous breakdown. This bears a disturbing resemblance to the death circumstances of a One Direction member, who, although he did not commit suicide, died as a result of falling from a hotel balcony. Drugs that can cause loss of consciousness and psychotic episodes were found at the scene.
Liam Payne's former partner's book
The book "Looking Forward" explores the life of a model named Mallory who falls in love with Oliver, a member of the popular boyband 5Forward. The controversial suicide attempt scene appears at the end of the novel when Mallory returns to the apartment she shares with Oliver. There, she finds her beloved in a drug-induced nervous breakdown. The fictional artist destroys the apartment with an axe before fainting.
Liam Payne's fans want the book removed
Fans of Liam Payne have petitioned Amazon—the distributor of "Looking Forward"—to remove the title from its store. "This book has generated a wave of controversy and unrest among social media users. Many believe that the book incites harassment, bullying and hatred towards Payne, as they believe everything cited in it, affecting her mental and emotional health to the point of having fatal consequences due to her recent, unfortunate and tragic death," notes the petition's justification.
Further, it states: "Amazon, as a global platform, has a responsibility to ensure that the products it sells do not promote harmful behaviors or harmful situations. We have a duty to look out for the mental and emotional health of those we love, in this case, Liam and his family, who deserve respect and peace in these difficult times."
Over 31,000 people have signed the petition calling for the removal of "Looking Forward" from Amazon's store.
